FEBRUARY 2024 AFTERMARKET 41 www.aftermarketonline.net of the battery is also a great benefit to the owner, as they can then make informed decisions when it comes to the need, or otherwise, for its replacement.” On battery best practice when a diagnostic process is taking place, Paul observed: “Particularly when undertaking those longer jobs, in addition to checking the condition of the battery, it should also be supported by a dedicated charger, able to provide a stable supply voltage. This is a sensible approach for two reasons. Firstly, the workshop doesn’t want to be responsible for discharging, and potentially reducing the life of, the battery, while the vehicle is on its premises. Secondly, the appropriate supply voltage will ensure that technicians are able to diagnose faults correctly.” On the importance of testing, Paul said: “The performance of the battery is a key factor for the correct function of many of a vehicle’s systems, assessing its condition is a best practice principle that should be adopted by every technician when a vehicle enters the workshop. Therefore, both the SOC and SOH need to be assessed. While the SOC can be simply determined with a voltage measurement, to make a reliable statement about the SOH requires a complex test procedure, which among other things, considers the CCA, the residual capacity (Ah) and the charge acceptance (CA). “Just as vehicle technology has continued to develop over the years, batteries such as AGM and enhanced flooded battery (EFB) have also developed. Therefore, to obtain reliable test results, especially in regard to the SOH, it is essential to use modern test devices that are adapted for these new battery technologies. As well as detailing the finer points, a good quality tool, such as the EBT 780, supplied by Ecobat Battery, will provide the user with a headline result to allow them to decide the correct way to proceed. “When fitting a replacement battery in a Stop/Start equipped vehicle, another important factor is the need for technicians to use a battery validation tool, such as Ecobat Battery’s EBT 420, to ensure the new AGM/EFB battery is correctly assimilated into the vehicle’s battery management system (BMS). This vital element is an important step that is often overlooked and means that even if the battery is of the appropriate technology and correct specification, incorrect validation will result in the wrong charge algorithms being applied to the new battery via the BMS, which will considerably reduce its service life. In addition, the vehicle’s ECU will also need to be reset, otherwise the replacement battery could be under charged, leading to its premature failure.” Paul added: “There is also a significant benefit to fitting Stop/Start replacements, which helps both the workshop and their supplying wholesaler, and that is the fact that with each installation they are selling a more expensive battery, with a greater profit margin. On top of this, because they are fitting a battery of the correct specification for the application, rather than a familiar, but ultimately inappropriate SLI version, customer satisfaction increases and warranty claims are reduced accordingly.” For more information, visit: www.ecobatbattery.com i h i b E yond Batteries and be d. cessories. inverters and ac tteries, chargers, Experts in ba VISIT US AT ECOBATB T: +44 (0)1743 218500 | is Enterprise Park, Shrewsbury anguar Ecobat Battery, 36a V BATTERY.COM our site can to vi Y obat.com .info@ec , SY1 3TG, UK fi rd Way, Battle eld S sit
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